Copending application Ser. No. 09/028,138 filed on Feb. 23, 1998 [agent ref. 100-02] (the disclosure of which are included by reference herein) disclose novel methods and apparatuses for securing one end of a cable to another end of cable, for example, to secure the ends of a cable for attaching a recreational craft, for example, a surfboard, to the hood or roof of a car or truck. The present invention is an improvement of the earlier inventions and includes an improved means of locking the devices disclosed in the earlier application to make these devices easier and safer to use and more appealing to the eye.
U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/028,138 discloses a device for securing a cable consisting of a set of u-shaped brackets or channels hinged at one end. The unhinged end of one bracket includes an adjustable device for securing the first end of a cable, for example, a plastic-covered, braided steel cable. The unhinged end of the second bracket also includes an adjustable arrangement for securing the second end of a cable. The characterizing feature of the invention disclosed in application Ser. No. 09/028,138 is that when the second bracket is rotated about the hinged end it engages the first bracket while concealing the devices used to secure the cable to the brackets. The brackets also include means for securing the engaged brackets, for example, a perforated tab for a padlock, to prevent the two brackets from being disengaged and the cable ends released.
The present invention provides for further improvements to the devices disclosed in application Ser. No. 09/028,138. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, the means by which the first cable end is secured to the first bracket allows for ease of securing and tightening the first cable to the first bracket. The same means for securing and tightening is also more easily released when the second bracket is disengaged from the first bracket.
In addition, where the devices described in the above-referenced applications have been shown to provide a simple and effective means of securing the ends of cables, the locking mechanism described in those applications can be cumbersome and prone to tampering by others. The present invention overcomes these limitations of the devices disclosed in the above applications by introducing means of locking the devices incorporating a combination lock or lock-and-key arrangement, for example, a locking arrangement having a more user-friendly push-button release.